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Jury Selection For Jeremy Christian Trial Set To Begin Tuesday

<p>Jeremy Christian listens during a hearing in a Multnomah County courtroom in Portland, Ore., on Friday, May 3, 2019. Christian was in court seeking a delay in the beginning of his trial while the state considers changes to its death penalty law.</p>

Laurie Isola

Jeremy Christian listens during a hearing in a Multnomah County courtroom in Portland, Ore., on Friday, May 3, 2019. Christian was in court seeking a delay in the beginning of his trial while the state considers changes to its death penalty law.

Jury selection for the Jeremy Christian trial is set to begin Tuesday morning in Multnomah County.  

Christian is charged with stabbing and killing two men and injuring a third on a Portland MAX train in 2017.  

Witnesses said Christian was shouting racist comments while two young African American women were nearby. One woman was Muslim and wearing a hijab.  

The attack sent shock waves through Portland and the nation in the midst of a rise in hate crimes and renewed concerns about emboldened white supremacy.  

Christian is also accused of harassing and assaulting Demetria Hester, an African American woman, on a MAX train the day prior.  

He is facing more than a dozen felony and misdemeanor charges for those crimes, including multiple counts of first-degree murder and intimidation.  

Seating a jury for the trial could be a challenge due to the high-profile nature of the case.  

Christian’s trial is scheduled to begin next week. It’s expected to last a month.

Copyright 2020 Oregon Public Broadcasting

Meerah Powell